Method of producing carbonized briquettes



Aug. 5, A1930. c. v. MCINTIREy )$772,189

MTHOD`OF PRODUCING CARBONIZED BRQUETTES Filed Jui-y 15l 1924 Mw f, WM(

Bx' d ATroRNEY Patented Aug. 5, 1930 UNITED .STATES )PATENT OFFICECHARLES V. MCINTIRE, OF EAST ORANGE, N

IEW4 JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CONSOLIDATION COAL PRODUCTS lCOMPANY, OFWILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DEL- AWARE Application filed July15,

The general object of the present inventionl is to provide an improvedmethodfof producing briquettes.t v l More specifically, the object of myinventionv is to provvide an'improved method of treating briquetteslformed from the char or so called semi-coke produced by the lowtemperature carbonization of coal and' a suitable binder such as asphaltor pitch, to vol'atilize a large portion of the binder and therebyproduce finished briquettes Which will burn-freely but With practically'smokeless combustion,

temperature 'carbonization may have contained 36% or more of volatilematter. Of the binder addedtothe semi-coke, approximately 50% will be ofan oilyvolatile nature andthe remainder Will be carbon. rIhebriquettesas they come from the briquetting machine, Willalsocontain somethinglike 5 to of moisture.- ;'v

The briquettes produced as above described as they come from thebriquetting machine` contain an uridesirably large amount of volatilematter and their combustion'is attended with an excessive and highlyobjectionable o smoke formation. To eliminate excess volathe VbriquettesWithout objectionable.l smoke, it h-as heretofore been proposed ,tosubject the briquettes to a 'carb'nlzing4 actionl in a closed retort ata temperature equal to-or .approaching that employed' in theso-calledhigh temperature carbonization of coal. In accordance with thepresent invention, I Isubject'the'm to a heat treatment at a temperaturepreferablywell-'belowA that last men-I tioned, in an internally heat ed,,retort o as' tile -matter and to make it possiblejto burnA METHQD orrnonucrncr CARBONIZED BnIQUn'r'rEs i924.-` seriai No. 726,216.

to eliminate the-smoke producing volatile constituents While at the-samevtimeleaving a sufficient" amount .of volatile material in the finishedbriquettes kto make the latter easy to ignite and to' enable them toburn about as freely, and Withthe same character of flame, yasanthracite coal. l`

The one ligure of the'dravving is a somewhat diagrammatic elevationpartly in section of onevform of apparatus suitable for carrying .outthe invention.

'Ihe retort A shown in the drawing is of the Vertical-continuous typecomprislng an upper heating portion or retort chamber Af proper, oflprogressively increasing diameter from top to bottom, vand a lowercooling chamber A1". The briquettes are passed into ther upper end ofthe retort Al from a chuteA B, pasta gate or valve C Which'may bearranged'and operated in a known manner to supply briquettes at therequired rate, and

to prevent the escape of gases from the retort into thechuteB.Advantageously, as shown, the retort structure comprises a casing shellof metal and a lire brick liningA2 for the heating chamber A', thelining being suffic iently `massiife to avoid 'objectionable heatradiation losses., VThe brick .Work lining A2,

as shown, is supported at its lower end byV Water cooled supports D. Erepresents dis-.

charge rolls the operation of which controls therate of discharge fromthe .retort chamber proper into the cooling chamber A10, from Which thefinished briquettes when sufficiently cooled are discharged through avalve cony trolled1 outlet A11.

Adjacent the lower end of the retort chamber A are ports G through whichair and a combustible gas are introduced into the retort. At higherlevels though still substantially belowthe top of the retort are otherports F through which airalone is introduced into the retort..Preferably the air supplied l to the ports-G andl` is preheated, and asshown in the drawing, the air supplied to the ports Gand F comes fromthe outlet pipe II" Otan air preheater H whichr is a heat exchanger fortransferring-heat .from the gasesleaving the top ofthe retort throughthe gas outlet I, to air supplied to the heat exchanger H through a pipeH2 under pressure as by means of a blower (not shown). Gases coming fromthe retort outlet to the preheater H escapefrom the latter throughconduit H3. As show n, the pipe H is connected to distributing piping Kfrom .which there is a separate valved outlet K to each of the ports Gand F. Gas is supplied to the ports G from distributing piping L .whichhas a separate valved outlet L to each port Gr. The combustible gassupplied to the pipingLmay consist in part of a portion ot the gasesleaving the heat exchanger through the outlet-H3, and in part of asomewhat richer gas,`or of a gas from some independent source. As shownin the drawings, valved pipe M Jforms a means for supplying'a richer gasto the piping L, and a valved branch H4t from the pipe H3 forms a meansfor supplying gas to the piping L from the gas outlet of the heatexchanger H.

#In the contemplated operation'of theapparatus shown in the drawing, airand combustible gas are supplied to the retort through the ports G asrequired to heat the briquettes to a maximum temperature of somethinglike 13000 F. this maximum temperature being obtained at or about thelevel ofthe lowermost ports G. The briquettes entering theretort-through the chute B at atmospheric temperatures, or somewhatabove when they come directly from the briquetting machine,

are heated up more or less gradually as they pass downto the zone ofmaximumtemperature. As the briquettes are thus. progressively heated up,the most of the volatile constituents of the briquette binder aredrivenyout of the briqu'ettes, as is an appreciable portion of thevolatile constituents of the semi-coke. A characteristic'advantage ofthe invention is found in the fact,however, that by heating briquettesin accordance with the present invention, I am enabled to free themalmost entirely from smokev forming constituents while they still retainsome 8 to 10% of volatile matter.

Ordinarily, I regulate the relative amounts of air -and combustiblegassupplied tothe retort so as to make the air supply insufficient forthe complete combustionzof all the combustile gas in the retort at anylevel therein, and I am thus able to burnthe combustible materialsupplied through'the ports G and Vthat driven out of the briquettes inamount suficient to heat the briquettes to themaximum temperaturedesired with practically no y combustion of the solid carbonaceousframework o the briquettes. The elimination of the smoke formingconstituents of the binder quettes.

from the briquettes, in the manner described, leaves the lattersuiliciently strong and tough or elastic to avoid objectionable breakagein the handling and transportation of the briu The gases escaping fromthe retort through the outlet Igare a mixture of'prodoils in amountsuliicientto justify byproduct recovery. As already stated, somewoiy:Ithe gas can well be employed inheatingthe retort. It will he obvious,however, thatnot all of the gas leaving the retort can befreturned tothe latter, land'I consider it necessary in most; cases to supply someof the retort heating'requirementsby the combustion of asuhstantiallyricher gas than that withdrawn from the retort. The portion of the gaswithdrawn from the retort and not returned to the latter may ordinarilybe used with advantage ih heating -the primary retorts in whichA thesemi-coke for the briquettes is' produced by low temperaturecarbonization.

- Having now described my invention, what I claimsas'new and desire tosecure byLettersr` Patent,`is:

l. The method of'treating carbonizahle briquettes molded from semi-cokeand a pitch-.

binder having readily volatile smoke forming constituents whichcomprises heating the briquettes progressively up to a temperaturequettes continuously through a retort and furnishing the required heatby the combustion of gas within the retort in contact with thebriquettes.

2. Thev method of treating carhonizahle biquettes molded from semi-cokeand a pitch binder having readily volatile smoke formin constituentswhich comprises heating the br1' quettes progressively up to atemperature' high enough to volatilize substantially all of the smokeforming constituents inthe briquettes and low 'enough -to maintain thevolatile content'exclusive ofmoistu'r of th'ebri-` quettes whencarbonized over seven percent (7%) by passing the briquettescontinuously'v through a retort in one direction,` withdrawing gasesfrom, and maintaining an'atmosphere of burning gases yiiI-sa'id1 re'fort by supplying air and combustible' gasv to the 'retortin contact withthe briquette'sto create a flow of the retort atmosphere 'counter tosaid'directio'n and the generation of 'suilicient heat to'efect suchvolatilization while restricting combustion to reduce combustionof the.non-f volatile portion of the briquettes to 'a negligible'v amount.

3;" The method of treatingea-rboni'zablebriquettes molded fromsemi-cokeand a hydro-- carbonaceous binder which comprises'heating thebriquettes progressively up to a temperature high enough toVolatilize'substantially all of the smoke forming constituents in the'Abriquettes and low enough'to avoid volatilizing aconsiderable portion ofthe volatile con-v 'quettes continuously through a retort and heatingthe retort by the combusti-on of gases CII in contact with saidbriquettes.

Ll. The method of treating carbonizable briquettes molded from semi-cokeand a hydrocarbonaceous binder which comprises heating the briquettesprogressively up Ato a temperature high enough to volatilizesubstantially all of the smoke. forming constituents in the briquettesand low enough to avoid volatilizing a considerable portion of thevolatile constituents of the seniicoke by passing the bxriquettescontinuously through a retort and generating the necessary heat bysupplying combustible gas to the retort and burning the gas thereinincluding the supplying of sueient air to the retort chamber to producepartial Combustion in Contact with the briquettes of the combustiblegases supplied to the retort and volatilized out o't the briquettestherein.

5. The method of treating carbonizable briquettes molded from semi-cokeand a pitch binder which vcomprises passing the briquettes continuouslythrough a retort, carbonizing the said briquettes in said retort so asto avoid volatilizing a considerable portion of the volatileconstituents of the semicoke, withdrawing gases produced by thecarbonization from the retort, returning some of said gases to theretort, and supplying the heat for the carbonization by burning thereturned gases therein in Contact with the briquettes includingsupplying air for combustion to the retort chamber in contact with thebriquettes in amount suiiicient to avoid the consumption in combustionof an appreciable portion of the volatile constituents of the semi-coke.

6. The method of treating carbonizable bri'- quettes molded fromsemi-coke and a pitch binder which comprises passing the briquettescontinuously through a retort, carbonizing the said briquettes in saidretort so as to avoid volatilizing a considerable portion ot thevolatile constituents ot the semicoke, withdrawing gases produced by thecarbonization from the retort, returning some oi' said gases to theretort, supplying to said retort additional combustible gasf a higher B.t. u. value than the gases withdrawn from the retort, and supplying theheat for the carbonization by burningA the gases returned and suppliedto the retort in Contact with the briquettes in the retort includingsupplying air .for combustion to the retort chamber in amountsufl'icient to maintain temperature conditions low enough to avoidvolatilizing a considerable portion of the volatile constituents of thesemi-coke.

7 The method of treating carbonizable briquettes molded from semi-cokeand a pitch binder which comprises passing the briquettes continuouslythrough a retort. carbonizing the said briquettes in said retort so asto avoid volatilizing a considerable portion of the volatileconstituents of the semicolte, withdrawing gases produced by thecarbonization from the retort, returning a portion ot' said gases to theretort, supplying the heat for the carbonization by burning the gasesreturned in contact with the briquettes in the retort includingsupplying air for conibustion to the retort chamber in amount snilicientto avoid volatilizing an appreciablev portion. of the volatileconstituents of the semi'- coke, and preheating said air by transferringheat thereto from the gases withdrawn from `the retort.

